Between heaven and earth, a large number of cultivators were flying at high speed, dragging a long trail of light behind them.
They flew in from all directions, heading toward four towering mountains standing in the middle of the plain on the ground.
The four mountains corresponded precisely to the four cardinal directions: east, south, west, and north.
A golden beam of light descended from the sky, landing upon the western mountain. The golden energy radiance around him dispersed to reveal the figure within the golden light: a tall, robust young monk with a leopard's head, round eyes, swallow-like jaw, tiger whiskers, and a gleaming, dazzling bald pate. A string of prayer beads hung around his neck, and he held a golden-iron Zen staff in his hand.
He swept his gaze in a circle around him. Though his gaze was incomparably calm and gentle, the cultivators who caught it—despite having originally chosen this mountain as their landing spot—immediately reversed direction and headed elsewhere.
Seeing this, the monk smiled with satisfaction, slowly bent his knees, and sat cross-legged atop the peak. The golden staff in his hand was laid horizontally across his thighs, and he closed his eyes, bringing his palms together to chant scriptures. With every single scripture chanted from his mouth, an energy-materialized character burst forth, manifesting outside the mountain body.
In the blink of an eye, the entire mountain body was enveloped by a protective shield formed of dense, golden characters.
"Boom!!"
A young man wielding dual sabers attempted to forcefully charge into the barrier formed by the golden characters. He slashed a blade against the shield, but the barrier emitted a golden light that blasted the man—who had tried to force his way in—backward, causing him to vomit blood incessantly.
Beside him, a scrawny middle-aged man